Pneumatic alarm for automobiles.



'No. 7||,940. Pathnted Oct. 28, I902.

q. E. CORDEAU. PNEUMATIC ALARM'FUR AUTOMOBILES.

A lication filed on. so, 1901.

(No Model.)

BY I 4 5 2? ATTORNEY Tu: mama PETERS ca. Pncn'o'umov. wnsumcfon. n. c.v

UNITED STATES PATENT O FICE.

GASTON E. CORDEAU, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

PN EU MATIOALARM FOR AUTOMOBILES.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent NO. 711,940, dated October 28, 1902.

Application filed October 80, 1901. Serial No. 80,478. (No model.)

To all whmn it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GASTON E. CORDEAU, a citizen of the United States, residing at 1060 Jefferson avenue, Brooklyn borough, city of New York, county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Pneumatic Alarms for Automobiles, of which the following is a specification. My invention relates to an improved pneumatic signal or-alarm for automobiles, the object being to produce a simple durable pedal-alarm, the horn being placed under the body near the dashboard or front of the vehicle. Heretofore these pneumatic alarms were usually placed on the steering-handles and actuated by the hand by pressing a rubber bulb, it being necessary to open the hand and quickly close it to efiect the pressure, thus momentarily releasing the firm grip on the steering-lever. My invention overcomes this objectionable feature.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which show my improvement, Figure 1 is a side view, partly in section. Fig. 2 is a plan view when detached from a vehicle. Fig. 3 is a modification of a resilient device interposed between the pump and the alarm. Fig; 4 is a modification of another form of a resilient device.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts in all the views.

1 is a short metallic pump-cylinder fastened by means of lugs 2 to the under side of the vehicle-body 3 by means of screws 4. The pump is composed of the usual piston, consisting of an upper washer 5, screwed on the rod 6, a cup-shaped leather washer 7, having the edge skived down thin, as shown. A lower washer 8 fits down inside of the cupshaped leather washer, the nut 9 fastening the several piston parts together. Abeehive or spiral cone spring 10 keeps the piston raised when in a normal position.

11 is an outlet-nipple.

- 12 is an elastic connection, preferably a small rubber bulb or tube, connecting the horn 13 with the pump.

14 is a guide-plate to keep the rod 6 central.

15 is a hollow flanged sleeve having a slot 16 on one side, the length of the slot being the same length as stroke of the piston. The flange 17-is screwed on the loose footboard 18 on a line central with the rod 6.

19 is a presser-rod having a button 20 on its upper end. A screw 21 is fitted into the rod 19, as shown, on a line with and adapted to have a vertical movement in the slot 16.

22 is a strap-fastening for the horn 13. 23 is the tongue of the horn, having a vibrating reed 2+L usually had in this class of horn. This tongue'and reed may-be reversed, so that it enters the horn instead of the flexible connection 12. Owing to the difference in the spaces between the footboard 18 and the vehicle-body the piston or pump-rod 6 is left somewhat longer than required, so that any person can cut itoff at the top to the right length, it being required that the presser-rod 19 and the piston be at the highest or normal point, the two rods touching each other.

In the modification, Fig. 3,1 show a metal casing 25, chambered off by a rubber disk 26,

fastened in said casing. The cup-shaped part.

75 stretch or expand into it when excessive pres- I 27 of the body permits the rubber disk to sure is produced by the pump. A regulati'ng-screw 28 permits a quantity of air to escape. The rubber disk when under pressure, stretching into the cup, forces the air confined between it and the cup out through an opening controlled by said regulating-screw.

In Fig. 4 I show a chamber 29, having a closely-fitting movable disk 30. A spiral spring 31, placed between the cap 32 of the chamber and the disk 30, keeps said disk near the lower end of the chamber. Any sudden pressure produced by the pump causes disk to rise, pressing against the spring, and thereby affording the desired resiliency to prevent the choking of the reed in the horn.

Such being the construction, the operation is as follows: We will presume that the pump and its parts are properly fitted to a vehicle. Whenever it is necessary to raise the footboard, it can be instantly done, the pistonrod slipping freely out of the sleeve. In

replacing the footboard the piston rod is slipped up into the sleeve and pump is ready for operation. By pressing the button 20 with the foot the air is compressed in the pump and forced through the connection to the horn, where the reed vibrates and gives an alarm. If the pressure be too sudden or too great, there is danger of choking the reed, and to avoid this I prefer to use a small rubber bulb or other resilient device, as shown in the modifications, which will expand automatically by excessive pressure and remove the danger of rendering the alarm useless.

In pressing down the pump-rod the bee hive-spring will compress one convolution within the other, so that the spring will occupy very little space. The movement of the rod is limited by the screw 21 moving in the slot 16, but as an extra precaution against crushing the thin edges of the cup-shaped washer the nut 9 is of a suitable thickness, so that it strikes the bottom of the pump, leaving the edge of the washer just clear. On account of its compactness no great quantity of compressed air is stored in the bottom of the pump when the piston is down to its full stroke. simple and quickly repaired when required. It is also obvious that in vehicles having no extra footboard the sleeve and rod 19 can be omitted and the button 20 put directly on the upper end of rod 6, the device being just as efficient.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a pneumatic alarm for automobiles, a

pump, means for operating said pump by'the 'an air-pump, means for fastening said pump to underneath the body of the vehicle, a sleeve, having means for fasteningto the foot- The component parts are all very.

board of said vehicle, and a rod slidably fitted within said sleeve, substantially as described and shown.

3. In a pneumatic alarm for automobiles, an air-pump having means for attaching to underneath the body of a vehicle, said pump being provided with a piston and piston-rod,

said piston-rod extending to and through a board constituting the vehicle-body, in combination with a means for sounding an alarm, substantially as described.

4. In a pneumatic alarm for automobiles, the combination of an air pump having means for attachment to underneath the body of a vehicle, said pump having its piston-rod extending to and through a board constituting the vehicle-body, and a hollow sleeve having means for fastening to the footboard of said vehicle, with a presser-rod coacting with said piston-rod, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. In a pneumatic alarm, an air-pump operated by means of the foot, -a sounding means, and an automatic resilient connection interposed between said pump and said sounding means, substantially as shown and described.

6. In a pneumatic alarm, a foot-pump and a horn for sounding an alarm, in combination with a chambered connection connecting said pump with said horn, said chambered connection having resilient means for automatically expanding andcontracting, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 16th day of October, 1901.

GASTON E. OORDEAU. Witnesses:

W. KENNEDY PETERS, ROBERT M. R. ARMSTRONG. 

